


No Illusions

by Wallwalker



Category: Final Fantasy VI
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Angst, Community: springkink, F/M, Post-Canon, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-20
Updated: 2009-11-20
Packaged: 2017-10-03 10:29:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wallwalker/pseuds/Wallwalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is nothing like love, but Setzer is sure it's all they'll ever have.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Illusions

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for LiveJournal's [Springkink](http://community.livejournal.com/springkink/) challenge in July of '07.  
> Prompt: Final Fantasy VI, Celes/Setzer: Adrenaline rush - Non-romantic motivations for sex; no strings attached.  
> Special ending spoilers - assumes that the party never found Locke before going to Kefka's Tower.  
> Also, while for the moment I'm marking it as complete because I don't have any hard-and-fast ideas for continuation, I do kind of want to continue it someday, especially now that I look at it again. We'll see.

Even as he's kissing her, Setzer has no illusions about what they're doing. This is nothing like love. It's the adrenaline that still rushed through her veins after the battles, the near-misses, the surprises - there are still far too many dangers in that world, even now that magic is dead. It's the anger and the fear needing a way out. He can understand that, even if it never seems to hit him as hard as it hits her lately.

There are other reasons, too, things that they never, ever talk about - they've yet to find even a trace of _him,_ for a start, even after months of searching. The only reminder that they have is the bandanna that Celes keeps tied around her arm. Setzer never, ever sees her take it off, not after she'd nearly lost it as the Tower had collapsed around her.

Sometimes he thinks that if she'd lost that bandanna, she would have thrown herself back into the chasm the second that he'd let go of her hand. Of course, that wouldn't have stopped him from catching her again, as many times as it took, if it meant getting her out of there alive. He'd didn't know exactly how much it was worth to her; it didn't _matter,_ if only because she'd never convince him that a mere memento was worth more than what it was meant to remind her of.

Soon her hands are fumbling at the catch of his trousers - he happens to be wearing his best silk trousers, vain as it may be, and so he reaches down for a moment to help her lest she tear them in her eagerness. But once they're open - once she's holding his cock in her pale, warm, slightly calloused hands - he stops thinking about the trousers, stops thinking about what he's doing or why she's asking this of him, and just acts. It's far easier that way.

They've never actually made love, if you could call anything like this love. They've never even seen each other naked; there are always clothes, barriers between them. They act like a couple of gawky teenagers, all touch and fumble, her hands stroking his cock and his slim fingers thrusting inside of her. Both of them try to muffle their moans and cries, as if there were others on the ship to hear them - they are alone, and have been for months, but that never seems to change anything.

"Setzer," she always says after they finish, sounding almost embarrassed as she fastens her trousers again. "This... none of this changes anything between us."

"Of course not," he reassures her as they compose themselves. "I understand." But he has his best poker face on, because while it might be true for her, it certainly isn't for him; he may not be the one she wants to catch, but he's been ensnared by her from the very beginning, and a few words aren't going to change that.

But he knows that her heart is elsewhere, and has no hope of changing her feelings; he has no illusions about that, either. When they find Locke - if they ever do - he's sure that he'll lose them both, that they'll leave together and never give him a second thought. As much as he wants to tell her the truth, that always stills his tongue; if these moments are the only thing he'll ever have with Celes, he won't say anything to risk them, even if it means she'll never know the truth.


End file.
